Wednesday, April 9, 2008

What you DON'T know about the Beijing Olympics

You may think you're fully informed about the issues surrounding the Beijing Olympics. But I bet you're not.

Oh, I'm sure that you've read the outstanding blog mrontemp, and its various articles about the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Perhaps you even followed the links in these posts. For example, you may have read Sharon Cobb's post entitled "German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, Is Boycotting The Olympics...Will More World Leaders Follow Her Lead? If So, For The Same Reason?".

But I still maintain that there's a view of the Beijing Olympics that you probably HAVEN'T heard.

Yesterday I found a video on YouTube that had a different perspective on the Beijing Olympics opposition in general, and on the torch protests in London and Paris in particular. (I am writing this a few hours before the San Francisco torch run, so obviously the video does not reflect anything that may happen, or may not happen, in San Francisco.)

Now once you see the video, you'll probably argue that this is an immoral attempt by this blog to secure views from a billion Chinese web surfers. And you're right - no, wrong. I mean you're wrong.

Anyway, here's the video:



You can get the message of the video without watching it, merely by reading the video summary:

Support Beijing Olympics, Condemn those rioter

And it should also be noted that the video has a title "Where are our rights?"

Once you watch the video, you will see several messages appear on your screen, juxtaposed with pictures of happy people and evil rioters. Here are the messages from the video:

Where are our human rights?

Why should we give these criminals "the freedom and rights"?

These are crimes

They even attacked a blind man and a girl on a wheel chair.

How can you deny the rights and good wills of 1.3 billion people?

For a better and peaceful world in future, please respect our freedom and rights!


Sometimes when we talk about issues, we forget about the perspective of others, so I believe, and have tried to use this blog to demonstrate, that all sides of an issue should be seen.

And heard.

Therefore, I hope that this video by YouTube user jliu94044 is seen - and heard - all over the world.

Including in China itself, where I believe this video needs to be seen - and heard.

Oops, I guess I forgot to talk about the soundtrack to the video above. You know that videos are always improved when they include a soundtrack. This video uses the first verse of the song "Amazing Grace" as its soundtrack.

Yep, "Amazing Grace." You probably remember the first verse.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.


But the video, unfortunately, ends at the first verse. Here are more of the verses, as recorded by littleleaf.com:

T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.

When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.


Well, perhaps a day will come when J. Liu's video can be seen, and heard, not only in Pacifica, California, 94044, but also in Beijing 100010, China, and that people will not have to depend upon a "one-stop service" for news, but can read news from everyone, including Sharon Cobb. Perhaps Xinhua will open the floodgates themselves. Heck, if the Voice of America can talk about Iraqi curfews, then Xinhua can talk about the lack of food and water at Tibetan monasteries, or about George Clooney's meeting with Gordon Brown.

Hmm...perhaps this post won't get a billion Chinese readers after all...

http://www.tibet.org/
http://www.savetibet.org/
http://www.tibet.com/
http://www.miafarrow.org/
http://www.sudanreeves.org/
http://www.savedarfur.org/
http://www.biblesunbound.com/


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